The canvas has an old relining, which has not compromised the surface. Largely untouched, the picture is in excellent condition. Inspection under ultra violet light confirms the opacity and discoloration of the varnish, as well as revealing a small amount of minor retouching in the background, predominately in the curtain in the upper right.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Painted here when a young boy wearing an outfit elaborately embroidered with strawberry motifs, Sherard was the son of William, 1st Baron Sherard (1588-1640) and his wife Abigail Cave, daughter of Cecil Cave and Anne Bennet. In 1640 he succeeded his father as 2nd Baron Sherard and in 1661 married Elizabeth Christopher, by whom he had a son Bennet Sherard, 1st Earl of Harborough (1677-1732) and a daughter, Lucy Sherard (1685-1751).

A noted patron🅘 of both composers and painters, Sherard was member of Parliament for Leicestershire on three occasions between 1679 and 1695, and he was a staunch supporter of William of Orange at the Revolution. Never a parti❀cularly active MP, he was none the less a Whig and a Court supporter, and in 1690 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Rutland. Buried at Stapleford after his death in 1700, he was described as 'a person of great hospitality [who] is much lamented by all that had the honour to know him'. His son, who succeeded him as MP for Leicestershire, was created Earl of Harborough in 1719, whilst his daughter, Lucy, married John Manners, 2nd Duke of Rutland (1676-1721), as his second wife in 1713, by whom she had eight children, including Lucy, Duchess of Montrose (1717-1788).     

This charming portrait has much in common with another by Gilbert Jackson, executed only a few years later in 1634, of Master William Hickman (Private Collection)¹. The size, composition and depiction of the hands, as well as the treatment of both the&🎐nbsp;costumes and the features of the children are much alike. 

1. See E. Waterhouse, The Dictionary of 16th and 17th Century British Painters, Woodbridge 1988, p. 139, reproduced.